July 22nd 2022
Moulsford Shortlisted for Outstanding New Initiative
We are delighted to announce that we have been shortlisted for the ‘Independent Schools of the Year Awards’ in the ‘Outstanding New Initiative’ category for ‘Moulsford High Performance Lunchtimes’.
Spearheaded by Mr Weeks and inspired by the popular ‘High Performance Podcast’ series hosted by presenter Jake Humphrey and psychologist Damian Hughes, last year we launched ‘Moulsford High Performance Lunchtimes’, a series of interesting and diverse talks aimed at boys in Years 6 to 8.
Recognising the changing face of education, this innovative initiative has seen boys become inspired by a diverse range of individuals including Cath Bishop, a former rower and diplomat, Spencer Bull an Invictus games athlete, James Parkin from the Royal Navy, Don Macpherson a Sports Psychologist, Johnny Grimond former Foreign Editor at The Economist and Henry Fraser who is a Motivational Speaker. Following our experiences with online learning during lockdown, the series has also been enhanced by having some speakers join us virtually - we are soon to have a Ranger speaking from Kenya!
Attendance at these weekly talks is completely voluntary with the focus on learning through the life experiences of others. During their talks, our speakers describe their non-negotiable qualities and highlight the characteristics they have identified that they like to see in people around them and the life lessons that have helped their careers develop. They also provide advice to their teenage selves. Key themes that regularly come up are the importance of kindness and positivity, the value of relationships, embracing ‘failure’ as a way to learn and valuing the ‘journey’. These life lessons are transferable across any career and the boys feel empowered by these messages.
We recognise the need for children to learn more than just ‘facts on a page’ but also ideas and values that help one to enjoy a happy and fulfilling life. Moulsford is a busy and purposeful environment providing lots of opportunities for boys to find their passions in life. However, providing time for reflection is increasingly important and this initiative has given the boys the opportunity to simply sit, listen and learn, without the need to follow up with any form of written work. By utilising the long lunchtime, we can provide opportunities that otherwise couldn’t be fit into a busy school day. The momentum generated has seen audience numbers reach as high as 50-60 pupils and staff. The series has become so successful that we regularly have parents listening virtually and have also had other schools join from around the country.
Another key element of this initiative is the strength of the Moulsford community and the collaborative relationship we have between parents and the school, with the remarkable list of guest speakers all coming via a member of our school community. The student experience is enriched by this initiative with boys saying that their increased knowledge has helped them with school interviews and taught them life lessons about resilience and helped with wellbeing and mental health. Previously shy boys are now confident enough to ask questions of our speakers and are genuinely inspired by the answers. This initiative is going from strength to strength and will hopefully continue to inspire Moulsford boys for years to come.
